The EU has not been economically what it was supposed to be. Instead of the crap countries copying countries like Britain and reforming their economic policy, they did nothing and leached of easy money afforded by the EU.

The best way I heard it described was that those countries have "too much calcium" in their labor markets, and hopefully this is the wakeup call that the EU is bureaucratic bullshit that has accomplished almost nothing.

i don't think anyone knows what the long term effects will be. my guess is the UK will be just fine after a while. The only thing we know is that in the short term, Big Train's sister hit the jackpot and should buy you a kilt or a bagpipes or something